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There will be no Sunday of sleeping in for residents around downtown Boone and areas near Stadium Drive, with a sequence of loud noises to rouse you. Your morning snooze will be interrupted as Contract Drilling and Blasting LLC implodes Winkler Hall at Appalachian State University.
University News Bureau says the implosion will take place at approximately 8 a.m., weather permitting under guidance of Falcon Engineering Inc., the designer in charge for the demolition. With the blast, a 1,000-foot perimeter has been identified by the contractors, D.H. Griffin Company, beyond which only authorized personnel will be admitted. That perimeter extends to portions of Rivers Street and Stadium Drive, and from Bodenheimer Drive to the former Broyhill Events Center. Due to the location of the blast, a clear line of sight outside the safety perimeter is limited, but don’t be dismayed—you can see it all live as the implosion can be viewed by webcast at http://streaming.appstate.edu/winkler. Alternately, the College Street Parking Deck on campus will have limited space for viewing. The nuts and bolts of the blast: Access to Stadium Drive will be restricted to essential vehicles only beginning at 6 a.m. and will be closed one hour prior to and 30 minutes following the blast. Vehicles parked in the Stadium Lot must be moved by 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31, or they will be towed. Demolition experts on site will issue a siren warning five minutes and one minute prior to the implosion. The series of blasts and the building’s implosion will last approximately 12 seconds. Safety measures will be taken to contain the dust that will follow. Vibrations from the implosion should be minimal. Built in 1974, the 11-story residence hall housed 132 students. Because the cost to renovate Winkler Hall proved to be impractical, the building is being razed. The site will be analyzed as a potential location for a new residence hall.